Tablet Research

I've been toying with the idea of buying a tablet. Almost definitely Android. I'd like a 9"-10" one, but those seem like they're still a bit too expensive for my tastes. In the 7" space the Nexus 7 seems like the clear winner. I'll probably wait until the holiday shopping season to see if I can grab any good deals.

Does anyone out there have a tablet and want to offer suggestions or advice?

My only tablet at the moment is an HP TouchPad I nabbed during the fire sale last year (currently dual-booting ICS), but since the hardware's pretty out-of-date at this point, I could hardly recommend it now. Hmm...

I agree, the Nexus 7 is a pretty clear winner in the 7" lineup. Great hardware and update support for a great price. It's what I would buy, I think.

I'm probably telling you stuff you already know, but the top 9"-10" tablets right now are probably the Transformer Pad Infinity (Pretty top-of-the-line, so the price is sort of crazy right now), Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, and the Kindle Fire HD 8.9".

The Kindle HD is pretty locked-down if you don't mess with it, but there are plenty of ways to sideload Google Play apps, root it, or flash custom ROMs. A lot of potential for that price, assuming you're willing to go through that hassle.

Yeah, I was looking at the Kindle HD too, but would rather not have to deal with sideloading or flashing it. Too much hassle, too much room for error. The only reason I might go for it is the larger screen at the bargain price. It might be worth it, lol.

If you want a 7" the Nexus is the best thing you can purchase for the money, but I cannot say too much about it since I have never used one.

Personally, I am going to be switching my Android tablet out for a Surface. I can give you a good deal on my tablet.

Also. Have you considered the fact that a 7" is not much larger than your phone? 10" is a lot better if you want to consume media on the go. Waiting for the holidays is not a bad idea, because there will be some crazy deals. Just watch you do not buy the slightly modified holiday edition of the tablet that is cheaper than the better version.

Yeah, my dad got a Kindle and put Android on it, so on start up, he chooses whether to run it under Kindle software or Android tablet software. It works really great. He's had it two years now and still uses it with no issues. I remember it being relatively easy for him to do, but I have no idea what he did so yeah. XD

Here's the thing with Surface: there'll be two versions, Surface RT which comes out later this month and Surface Pro which comes out early next year. Surface RT is running what's called "Windows RT" - a specialized version of Windows 8 designed for ARM tablets. The thing is, Windows RT only allows you to run software compiled through ARM and sold through the Windows store. At the moment, that's a pretty limited selection. Of course, it does still have the awesome design going for it. There's not been a price announcement yet, but it's not expected to be too high.

Surface Pro, on the other hand, runs the full version of Windows 8 and has beefier specs, meaning anything you could do on a high-end Windows laptop you can do on the Surface Pro. The downside to this, of course, is that it's expected to be much more expensive - comparable in price to a higher-end laptop, not a tablet. If you're looking for an all-in-one option, or you want the ability to use business software on your tablet, this might be the way to go.

If you want a 7" the Nexus is the best thing you can purchase for the money, but I cannot say too much about it since I have never used one.

Personally, I am going to be switching my Android tablet out for a Surface. I can give you a good deal on my tablet.

Also. Have you considered the fact that a 7" is not much larger than your phone? 10" is a lot better if you want to consume media on the go. Waiting for the holidays is not a bad idea, because there will be some crazy deals. Just watch you do not buy the slightly modified holiday edition of the tablet that is cheaper than the better version.

I've definitely considered the size factor, but swallowing the $450-$500 for a 10" tablet is probably a bigger investment than I want to make right now. So we'll see where prices go this fall I guess. If I could get a nice Asus for $350 to $400 I'd definitely consider it.

And as much as the Xbox Live features seem awesome, I'm a long ways from being sold on a Surface.

I advise against a Microsoft tablet, because the operating system for anything PC isn't streamlined and is somewhat tempermental. That's okay for a full-featured computer that can be maintained, defragged, etc. Not so much for a tiny, limited tablet.

Android is probably pretty good. Test the thing out if you can though (like in a store), because multiple companies make things for Android and the quality varies. That will also avoid the shock of thinking that you had more screen than you did.

I have an iPad () off a scholarship from my university, so keep your ears open for an opportunity to get a tablet for free or discounted. I will admit that the iPad isn't for everyone, and has some downsides, like a lack of USB ports. And the price.

I've definitely considered the size factor, but swallowing the $450-$500 for a 10" tablet is probably a bigger investment than I want to make right now. So we'll see where prices go this fall I guess. If I could get a nice Asus for $350 to $400 I'd definitely consider it.

And as much as the Xbox Live features seem awesome, I'm a long ways from being sold on a Surface.

Yeah, from the way you've been talking I'd suggest an Android tablet or something like that as well. Surface is more geared towards professional use from what I've seen, and of course as a new product it hasn't had the breaking-in by the tech industry and the internet all the others have.

Unfortunately I'm not much of a tablet guy myself; I have heard good things about the Kindle Fire HD, but it does seem to be a pain to get non-Amazon stuff running on it. My guess is Nexus 7 is your best bet in the end.

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